The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for the immediate release of outstanding funds under its 2026 budget, saying timely financing is critical to the seamless execution of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Prof. Joash Amupitan, the INEC Chairman, issued this appeal on Tuesday while speaking at a World Press Conference held ahead of the elections.
Amupitan stated that getting ready for the elections demanded “robust financial backing and fiscal discipline”, and noted that the Federal Government had kept releasing the commission’s statutory budgetary allocations.
He added, though, that INEC was still waiting for the remaining funds to be released so it could carry out its activities without interruption.
“Executing a national election of this magnitude requires robust financial backing and fiscal discipline.
“The Federal Government has maintained its commitment to democratic governance through the timely release of statutory budgetary allocations to the commission, operating under a framework of transparent fiscal management,” he said.
“These funds have enabled us to meet international vendor obligations, finance the production of critical election technology, upgrade fiscal infrastructure, and sustain multi-stakeholder operational deployments nationwide.
“However, we expect the prompt release of the remaining budgets to ensure seamless execution of the activities,” the chairman added.
The commission’s request is being made in light of its funding needs for 2026 and the expenditure it anticipates for the 2027 general elections, with the presidential election set to take place in January.
While defending its 2026 budget before the National Assembly in February, Amupitan stated that the Federal Ministry of Finance had allocated a budget envelope of N140bn, whereas INEC’s total proposed spending for the year was N171bn.
Of the proposed N171bn, N109bn was earmarked for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities, and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
INEC further informed the National Assembly that it would need N873.78bn to carry out the 2027 general elections.
The projected election budget covered N379.75bn for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative expenses, N209.21bn for technology, N154.91bn for election capital expenditure, and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses.
Funding has come up time and again in INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
In June, the commission disclosed that it was yet to receive budgetary allocations earmarked for the 2027 elections, though it insisted that preparations were proceeding in accordance with the electoral timetable.
Amupitan noted that the commission had likewise begun procurement and other preparations, such as acquiring 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, extra voting cubicles, and new operational vehicles.
He also said INEC was building dedicated storage facilities for BVAS, renovating offices across the country and upgrading its information and communications technology infrastructure.
